- Choose a ceramic or metal vase or container for your flowers a sit will help keep the stems cooler and slow down the growth of bacteria which will help the flowers stay fresher for longer.
- Make sure the vase is spotlessly clean. Many washing up liquids and dish washer tablets can leave behind a residue. So, we suggest cleaning your vase with vinegar or lemon juice and then rinsing well to help your flowers last.
- Fill your vase with water and then add cut flower food – you can also make your own using the recipe at the end of this post.
- Remove any leaves that will sit below the water line. Most florists will have removed most or all of the lower leaves. But it’s worth checking, as the depth of water varies from vase to vase.
- To help your flowers last longer we suggest trimming the stems at a 45-degree angle using secateurs or sharp scissors, then placing the bouquet in water as soon as you can. The stems of cut flowers soon start to seal so it is always worth trimming the stems when the flowers first arrive and again, every couple of days or so, to allow the flowers to drink up the water and stay fresher for longer. Cutting the stems at an angle creates a larger surface area for the flowers to absorb water through.
- To help your flowers last even longer choose a place, out of direct sunlight away from radiators and the fruit bowl, to help prolong the life of your bouquet. Fruit such as bananas, apples and tomatoes produce high levels of ethylene that can promote ethylene production in cut flowers, causing them to go over more quickly.
- Refresh the water and re-trim the stems every couple of days to keep your beautiful bouquet alive for longer.
Make your own Cut-Flower Food
You will need 400-500ml water, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 dessertspoon vinegar, 1-2 drops of bleach.
Add all the ingredients to your vase and give them a stir.
The sugar provides carbohydrate energy that helps to feed the flowers. Flowers produce and consume sugar as they photosynthesise but once cut production stops. Sugar added to the water keeps the picked flowers fed.
The vinegar lowers the pH of the water, which improves water uptake by the stems. Bleach acts as a disinfectant, helping to prevent bacterial build-up. If you are trying to go greener, you can try cutting out the bleach and using apple-cider vinegar, which has been shown to have antimicrobial properties.
